Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
The Church of Beethoven.
I think that this is an *excellent* idea:
Church Preaches The Music Of Beethoven
Albuquerque, N.M., is no different from any other American city, in terms of its religious life; you've got churches, synagogues, a couple of Unitarian congregations and a mosque. But an abandoned gas station along old Route 66 is the unlikely home for another kind of Sunday-morning service, and it's one that you won't find anywhere else. It's called the Church of Beethoven.
Well, it's not really a church. There's no preaching, no appeals to God or spirits. Just a different way to appreciate the simple human quest for beauty through creativity:
Last February, he created it. It's sort of like a variety show, with poetry readings, group singing, silence and music. But he's trying to make it more than that: a community, a spiritual place, like a church for people who don't go to church.
"Really, the idea is to find spirituality through culture, through the cultural gifts that so many people have suffered for and created over so many generations," Wurman says. "There's so much information there that's useful."
A celebration of humanity, without the supernatural crap. How refreshing.
Jim Downey
(Thanks to ML for the reminder to do this piece - I'd heard this story Saturday morning, but then got busy . . . )
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Hope it catches on
There is an interesting article on Slate called "Does Religion make you nice". Within the US, religious people seem to be nicer than atheists. However the same isn't true in nations with high levels of voluntary nonbelief, such as Denmark and Sweden. The article suggests the reason for this is that US atheists are isolated, whereas in Scandanavia, people attend church, baptize their babies and such even though they don't believe in God. Humans are social animals, and its good for us to have institutions where we can get together and socialize with friends on a regular schedule. For those of us who want that without the woo, having something like the "Church of Beethoven" would be nice.